Bluffton High, 12 H. E. McCracken Circle: grades 9-12, 1,375 students in 2024-25, rated Excellent (71 points) on the state report card.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the school’s website; the Beaufort County School District’s attendance zone maps, 2026-27 academic calendar and school choice page; the S.C. Department of Education’s 2024-25 report card and report card data files; and the federal NCES school directory; the South Carolina High School League’s 2026-28 reclassification; and the Bobcats’ athletics website.
Bluffton High is a Beaufort County School District high school at 12 H. E. McCracken Circle, the street it shares with Bluffton Elementary and H. E. McCracken Middle. It is one of two district high schools in Bluffton, with May River High, and earned an Excellent overall rating on South Carolina’s 2024-25 report card. “Our Mission: Bluffton High School is committed to assuring that all students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to live as productive and informed citizens in an ever-changing society,” the school’s website says.
Who to call
- Front office: 843-706-8800, 12 H. E. McCracken Circle
- School website: blhs.beaufortschools.net
- Enrolling a new student: register through the zoned school; the district’s registration page explains the steps. District office: 843-322-2300
- Which school is my address zoned for? the district’s attendance zone maps
- Buses: the district’s Bluffton area transportation supervisor, 843-706-8402, on the transportation page
| Address | 12 H. E. McCracken Circle, Bluffton, SC 29910 |
| Phone | 843-706-8800 |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| District | Beaufort County School District |
| Mascot | Bobcats |
| School hours | 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. |
| State school ID | 0701030 |
Principal
Principal Matthew Hall, according to the school’s administration page, which lists his direct line as 843-706-8809. Four assistant principals split the student body by last name: Erica Nelson (A to Di), Daniel Heumann (Do to Kh), Gil Sanchez (Ki to Ra) and Ashley Parlagrecco.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: 1,375 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to the state’s report card.
- Federal count: 1,384 students in the 2023-24 school year, with 98 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 14 students per teacher.
State report card
South Carolina rates every public school each year as Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average or Unsatisfactory. An Excellent rating means “school performance substantially exceeds the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the SC Graduate,” according to the state’s report card site. The overall rating is built from indicators such as academic achievement, preparing for success, student progress, English learners’ progress and school climate, with graduation rate and college and career readiness added for high schools.
2024-25 rating: Excellent, 71 points. On the state’s high school scale, Excellent 67 to 100, Good 60 to 66, Average 51 to 59, Below Average 40 to 50 and Unsatisfactory 39 and below.
| Indicator | 2024-25 rating |
|---|---|
| Academic achievement | Good |
| Preparing for success | Average |
| Graduation rate | Excellent |
| College and career readiness | Excellent |
| School climate | Excellent |
- Four-year graduation rate: 93.5% in 2025, after 90.5% in 2024 and 93.1% in 2023 (district: 89.3% in 2025)
- College or career ready: 93.8% of the 2025 graduating class (district: 85.3%)
- End-of-course tests, share scoring A, B or C: English 70.5%, Algebra 65%, Biology 63.4% and U.S. History 58.5%
- AP and dual enrollment: 30.8% of the 2025 graduating class met the state’s college-ready mark through AP exams and 16.9% through dual-enrollment courses
The full report card, with test results by group, teacher data, school safety and spending, is on the state’s SC School Report Cards site. The state publishes new ratings each fall.
Attendance zone
Check an address on the district’s high school zone map; the middle and elementary maps sit alongside it. On the district’s 2024-25 maps, most of the Bluffton High zone lies in the Bluffton Middle zone and a smaller part in the H. E. McCracken Middle zone; at the elementary level it takes in the Red Cedar zone, most of the Michael C. Riley zone and part of the Bluffton Elementary zone. Most of the town’s land area, including the southern and western sides, is zoned for May River High.
The district says its maps are for reference only: Bluffton is growing fast, newer streets may not yet appear, and families should always confirm with the school. We did not find a published feeder list on the district’s site, so the pairings above come from laying the district’s elementary, middle and high school zone maps over each other. The district has not posted a zone for the new May River Elementary, which is under construction.
Calendar and school hours
Bluffton High follows the district’s 2026-27 calendar. Coming dates from the academic calendar (PDF):
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: end of the first quarter
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day, no school
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
- Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving break
- Dec. 23 to Jan. 5: winter break; students return Wednesday, Jan. 6
School hours: 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., according to the school’s website.
Programs
The district lists these choice programs at Bluffton High: AP Capstone, Visual and Performing Arts and career and technical education pathways in data science and artificial intelligence, biomedical sciences, emergency and fire management services, media technology and pre-engineering. BCSD Choice programs let county families apply to a program at a school outside their zone; for 2026-27, applications were due Jan. 15, 2026, a lottery decides when a program has more applicants than seats, and the district does not provide buses to an out-of-zone choice school, according to the school choice page.
In its narrative on the 2024-25 state report card, the school says it offers 24 AP courses, AP Capstone, Project Lead the Way, JROTC, firefighting, Teacher Cadet and dual enrollment through USC Beaufort and the Technical College of the Lowcountry.
A 20,000-square-foot, two-story career and technical education building is under construction on campus under the district’s 2023 bond referendum, according to the district’s August 2026 project report.
Sports and activities
Bluffton is a Class 4A school in Region 6 for the South Carolina High School League’s 2026-28 classification, with Beaufort, Colleton County, Hilton Head Island, Lucy Beckham and May River, according to the SCHSL reclassification lookup.
The Bobcats’ athletics website lists boys teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball, along with girls and coed teams. The athletic director is Todd Stewart, 843-706-8926.
Fall schedules and results are in our Friday night football guide and on our scoreboard.
More
- The school’s own website and the district’s project page for the school’s buildings
- Every public school in Bluffton, with zones and report cards
- Our Bluffton schools guide for the district calendar, enrollment and the school board
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Bluffton High serve?
Bluffton High serves ninth grade through 12th grade.
What is Bluffton High’s school rating?
Bluffton High was rated Excellent, with 71 points on South Carolina’s 2024-25 school report card, the latest the state has published.
Which middle schools feed Bluffton High?
On the district’s 2024-25 zone maps, most of the Bluffton High zone lies in the Bluffton Middle zone, with a smaller part in the H. E. McCracken Middle zone. Its elementary schools are Red Cedar, most of Michael C. Riley and part of Bluffton Elementary.
What time does Bluffton High start?
The school day runs 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., according to the school’s website.
How do I know if my address is zoned for Bluffton High?
Check the Beaufort County School District’s attendance zone maps, then confirm with the school at 843-706-8800. The district says newer streets may not yet appear on the maps.
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